In 1910 Minnesota, Nilda Carlson's dreams are coming true. Though her first few months in America were difficult, her life now resembles the images that filled her daydreams in Norway. She and her younger brother Ivar live in their own house, just a short distance from her older brother and his family. Together they work the farm and fell trees for lumber. They plan to grow a dairy herd, weave rugs out of their own wool, and make skis to sell. Everything is going right. The only thing missing from Nilda's life is love. But though she has two suitors--a quiet schoolteacher and a handsome lumberjack--Nilda feels hesitant. A terrifying experience in Norway has made her cautious where men are concerned. When she thinks she sees the man in question, all her fears come flooding back. Is it possible the danger has followed her across the Atlantic? If Dreng Nygaard is truly in Minnesota, all of her dreams for the future could come crashing down around her.

"'I am trapped,' she screamed silently, no one in the room hearing her inner pleas. 'I am trapped in a cage of poverty and mediocrity and If I don't get out I will die.' Only the sound of her typewriter could be heard that night echoing throughout the shack that she had called home. Grace Metalious wrote the stories that no one dared to write before that time. A midcentury tale of small-town life in New England to the hustle and bustle of New York City and to the unforgiving film studios of Hollywood, her story unfolds. Her infamous novel Peyton Place catapulted her from obscurity to the top of the literary world. This is a classic scenario where art imitates life and so does this novel. The young author coping with literary and financial success, without realizing it creates her own Peyton Place where she herself had to reside. The seasons of Grace is a fictional account based on the author's life; sometimes dark, sometimes shocking, but always authentic"--Back cover.

The loving hand of God is at work in even the most unsettling circumstances... In the seemingly ordinary Amish home of Grace Byler, secrets abound. Why does her mother weep and wander deep in the night? And why does her father refuse to admit something is dreadfully wrong? Then, in one startling moment, the quiet life Grace has known is irrevocably altered, leaving her to question all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment. "No one does Amish-based inspirationals better than Lewis." Booklist

"Preach the Word...in season and out of season..." 'Grace in Season: The Riches of the Gospel in Seventy Sermons' joyfully fulfills these words of St. Paul. This matchless collection of Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia's preaching, alive with the wisdom of the Dominican tradition, the Church Fathers, and the Communion of Saints, opens Sacred Scripture and shows forth the unchanging glory of the Good News. The light of that glory illuminates every season of human life, revealing the loving hand of God's providence at work in both the extraordinary events and the ordinary moments of salvation history. A ready and refreshing tonic for those who thirst for the living water of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 'Grace in Season' also provides for other preachers, as Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P., writes in his Foreword, "a model for gently but effectively subjecting the vain restlessness of the world to the merciful restlessness of the Word." --

Nilda Carlson has been trying to save enough money to go to America for months, so when a letter from Einar and Gerd Strand arrives, offering to pay her ticket, she jumps at the chance. Her younger brother Ivar accompanies her, and they can't wait to join their brother Rune and his family in the northern forests of Minnesota. Signe and Rune Carlson are thrilled to welcome Nilda and Ivar to America, but life on the farm remains a struggle. Though Gerd has softened and grown to love the Carlson family, Einar is still harsh and unforgiving, obsessed solely with felling as many trees as possible. Rune is trying to build a new home for his wife and children, but Einar refuses to help and forbids anyone from the nearby community from stepping foot on his land. What dark secret must lie in his past to have caused him to isolate himself--and anyone living under his roof--in this way? When a tragedy lays the truth bare, the Carlsons and Strands will have to come together like never before and become a true family.

* Fifty-two reflections, one for each week of the year, arranged thematically * Powerful for personal reflection, sermon preparation, or small group discussion

Once readers visit the charming village of Acorn Hill they'll never want to leave. Three sisters-Louise, a widow from Philadelphia; Alice, an unmarried nurse who lived with her father; and Jane, a divorced chef from San Francisco-reunite in the sleepy town after their father's death and turn the family home into a charming bed-and-breakfast. Here the sisters rekindle old memories, rediscover their childhood bonds, revel in the blessings of friendship and meet fascinating guests along the way.-------It's December and Acorn Hill is festive, but the Howard sisters are about to discover that Christmas doesn't always mean peace on earth. A misunderstanding between Florence Simpson and her husband Ronald has Florence jetting off to Florida-and feisty Ethel has just the solution. She sets off after her friend and drags Alice and Ronald with her, determined to convince Florence that her marriage is worth fighting for. Can she get through to the couple in time to make it back to Acorn Hill by Christmas? Meanwhile, the downtown merchants of Acorn Hill start a Secret Santa program, and Jane sees a special way to arrange a special Secret Santa delivery for a needy family in town. As Christmas gets closer, they all begin to get into the spirit of the season.